Coin-controlled weighing-machine.



No. 724,365. PATENTED MAR. 31, 1903i J. T. WITBK.

COIN CONTROLLED WBIGHING MAUHINB.

' APPLICATION IILED 001'. 31,1902. no MODEL. s sums-sum: 1

I Join T.

attorney I'm: nonms PETERS co. PHbIO-LITHG. WASHINGTON, a. c.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

-. JOHN THEODORE WITEK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COIN-CONTROLLED WElGHlNG-MACHINEL SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 724,365, dated March 31 1903. Application filed October 31, 1902. Serial No. 129,623. (No model.)

T at; whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,JoHN THEODORE WITEK, afcitizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Weighing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a coin-con trolled Weighing-machine and the object of the same is to provide a simple and effective combination of elements having means of a novel nature for elevating an indicator over a scale face or plate coacting with other means for horizontally moving'a difierent form of indicator in operative conjunction with a correspondingly-positioned second scale plate or face, the machine having a face-plate with an attractive scene thereon which will have a tendency to strike the curiosity of the public and induce the use of the machine.

The invention embodies novel details of construction and arrangement of theseveral parts,which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation showing a portion of the face of a weighing-machine embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the upper part of the machine, showing the internal mechanism. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section therethrough. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken in the plane of the line 4: 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of one of the indica-,

tors in the form of a bird, represented as flying, and a portion of the mechanism for operating the same. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the entire indicator used in the improved device. Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of a part of the mechanism shown by Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is an enlarged side' elevation of a portion of the scene on the faceplate of the machine and illustrating a boat with boys rowing and operated by the interior mechanism.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a hollow standard rising from a suitable scale-platform (not shown) and continuing into an upper head 2 to form a suitable casting or other structure and on which is fastened a face-plate 3. A scenic effect is produced on this face-plate, which in the present instance represents a water or marine scene 4, a lighthouse 5, and a tower on obelisk 6,with ground and foliage accessories. In the upper portion of the marine representation is a boat 7, with two objects therein, representing boys, 8, illustrated as grasping and controlling oars 9. Extending to the right from the base of the lighthouse 5 is a longitudinally-extending scale-plate 10, having divisions representing pounds and fractions thereof, and slidably cooperating therewith is a second boat 11,with two boys or other objects 12 therein. At the base of the tower or obelisk 6 a suitable opening is formed, and therethrough is movably projected a rod or analogous support 13, having thereon a bi rd 14, represented in the act of flying. Continuing into the upper head 2 are a pair of ordinary twin weight-adjusting springs 15, secured at their lower terminals to the end of a T-head 16 on the upper extremity of a rod or bar 17, extending through and having free play within the standards 1 and connecting with the usual springs and scale-platform levers. (Not shown.) The indicating mechanism comprises a transversely extending shaft'18, mounted in suitable bearings and having thereon a pinion 19, as well as a spurgear 20 and a ratchet-wheel 21. A rack-bar 22 engages the teeth of the pinion 19 and has its lower end in engagement with a ledge 23, extending outwardly in a horizontal plane from the upper edge of the T- head 16, the said rack-bar being movable against vertically-alined rollers 24 and by the latter held in regular and continual mesh with the said pinion. Above the spur-gear at a suitable point is a longitudinally-extending coin-controlled trip-lever 25, fulcrumed at an intermediate point and having a depending tooth 26 and a weight 27, adjustable on one ex tremity, the opposite extremity extending downwardly and movably entering a coinchute 28. Below the trip-lever is a longitudinally-extending rack-bar 29, having a slot 30 therein engaged by a limiting-pin 31, projecting rearwardly from the face-plate 2, and above the slot 30 a shoulder 32 is provided for engagement by the tooth 26 of the trip-' lever, whereby the mechanism may be held locked until released by a coin deposited in the machine through a suitable coin-slot 33 in the upper left hand of the face-plate, as clearly shown by Fig. 1. The rack-bar 29 is held down in operative relation'to the spurgear 20 by means of rollers 34 engaging the upper edge thereof, and to steady the movement of said rack-bar idler-pinions 35 are in mesh with the teeth thereof and located at points below the rollers 34; on opposite sides of the spur-gear. The boat 11 is secured to the pin 31, and the latter is movable in a slot 36 in the face-plate at a suitable point in relation to the upper edge of the scale-plate 10,

the said slot 36 being shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Through the medium of the pin 31 the boat 11 will be moved longitudinally over the face-plate, and one end thereof, in close alinement with the divisions or scalemarks on the scale-plate 10, will indicate the weight of the user of the machine. The slot 30 allows the rack-bar 29 to have a certain amount of play previous to actuation of the pin 31 and the boat connected thereto to avoid breakage, particularly by sudden jarring movements or vibrations that may be present in the weighing-machine after the coin is deposited and the parts released.

A Vertically-movable rack-bar 37 is also mounted within the head of the machine and held in continual mesh with a spur-gear 20, also on the shaft 18 in rear of the spur-gear 20, so that the said rack-bar 37 may move vertically without interfering with the rackbar 29 by means of antifrictional rollers 38 engaging the back edge thereof, and to this rack-bar the wire or support 13, carrying the bird 14, is connected, as clearly shown by Figs. 3 and 4. The actuation of the rack-bar 37 causes the indicator 14: to move in opposite vertical directions close to the tower or obelisk 6, which has divisions or scale-marks thereon representing pounds and fractions thereof,and to cause the said rack-bar to have a steady movement an idler-pinion 39 meshes therewith below the spur-gear 20.

The oars 9 of the boat 7 have levers 9 projecting through the face-plate 3 and are movably secured to the boat and fastened to said oars, as shown by Figs. 7 and 8. The inner ends of said levers have vertical reciprocation, as clearlyshown by Fig. 2. Pull wires or cords 40, of an elastic nature, are secured to the inner ends of the levers 9 and depend below the plane of the rack-bar 29 and are secured to one end of the rock-lever L1, fulcrumed at an intermediate point and having the inner end thereof retained in the path of movement of the ratchet-wheel 21, the said ratchet-wheel being held between the spurgears 20 and 20. Projecting upwardly from the fulcrum 42 of the rock-lever 40, which may be an inwardly-extending support, as clearly shown by Fig. 4, is an arm 43, and to the free end thereof and to a portion of the rock-lever below a retractile spring A is so cured, which always tends to draw the rock'- lever upwardlyinto normal position. As the shaft 18 is rotated through the medium of the primal actuating rack-bar 22 and the pinion 19 on said shaft the ratchet-wheel 21 is similarly rotated in the direction of the arrow indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and hence the inner end of the rock-lever is thrown down and causes the oars 9 to rise through the medium of the levers 9, and immediately the spring 44 retracts the said rock-lever and throws the ears downwardly, and so on through the rotation of the said ratchet-wheel, and thereby also causes the said oars 9 to simulate a movement ordinarily imparted to such devices in the operation of rowing.

When the coin is deposited in the chute 28, the tooth 26 of the trip-lever 25 is elevated and thrown out of engagement with the shoulder 32 of the rack-bar 29 and the entire ma chine is released and the several parts set in motion by the weight of the userimposed upon the platform of the machine. The scenic features of the face-plate 3 attract the attention of the user and afford considerable amusement, as well as exciting curiosity, as the oars of the boat 7 will be set in movement and simultaneously the boat 11 will commence to move in relation to its scale-plate 10 and the bird 14 in relation to its scale device 6. A suitable inscription will be applied to the face-plate explaining a trip to sea of two boys in a boat and their return to indicate the weight of the user, which will be demonstrated through the medium of the boats 7 and 11. The user will be inclined to watch the move ments of the oars of the boat 7 and his attention drawn away for a time from the boat 11 until he seeks to know his weight, when he will be apprised of the movement of the boat 11 from its normal point on the face-plate as well as the elevation of the bird 14. After the user steps from the platform of the weighing-machine the parts will return to their normal position.

The improved device will be found exceptionally amusing as well as useful, and other objects may be substituted for the boats and bird shown and embodying similar movements. Changes in the proportions, dimensions, and minor details may also be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what ard having a head weighing mechanism within the head including a shaft having spurgears thereon, a ratchet-wheel on the shaft between the gears, a vertically-movable rackbar engaging one of the gears, a horizontallymovable rack-bar engaging the remaining gear, indicators connected to said rack-bars and located on the outer side of the head of the standard, scales being positioned on the outer side of the standard for cooperation with the said indicators, an object on the outer side of the standard having movable devices extending therefrom, a rock-lever connected to said movable devices and actuated by the said ratchet-wheel, and means for restoring the rock-lever to normal position.

3. A weighing-machine,comprising a standard having a head with a face-plate, fixed scales being arranged on the outer surface of the faceplate at an angle to each other in substantially the same plane and spaced apart, independent indicators movable over the face-plate close to the scales, and mechanism Within the head for simultaneously operating the indicators. r

4. In a Weighing-machine, the combination of a standard having a head with weighing mechanism therein, a face-plate on the head having separate scales at angles to each other, indicators movable in relation to said scales, mechanism actuated by the weighing mechanism for operating the said indicators, the face-plate also having the representation of an object thereon with projecting movable devices, and means connected to said devices and also actuated by the weighing mechan JOHN THEODORE WITEK.

Witnesses:

H. F. BoLTE, H. W. NEUBEOK. 

